Pennsylvania still hopes to eradicate the spotted lanternfly

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The spotted lanternfly may seem relentless, descending upon backyard trees, houses, downtown buildings, orchards and vineyards each summer, but Pennsylvania still hopes to eradicate the Asian invader some day.

About 150 researchers, experts and others employed by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Penn State University will study the bug and work to control its spread in 2019, a "significant investment of human capital and effort," state Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said Thursday during a meeting with a citizens task force at the Reading Public Library Northeast Branch.

Federal and state officials continue to support research needed to discover more about the mysterious pest, Redding said.

The spotted lanternfly, a sap-sucking insect native to Asia, was discovered in District Township in 2014, its first sighting in the United States, and has spread to 13 southeastern Pennsylvania counties as well as New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia.

Still, Pennsylvania's goal is to eradicate the insect, which threatens the state's $18 billion grape, tree fruit, lumber and nursery industries, as well as those industries in neighboring states.

"It's not 2019 (we'll) eradicate, but looking at the time horizon, I think it's still possible," Redding told the Spotted Lanternfly Community Engagement Task Force, a group of about 15 Berks County citizens, including representatives of business, agriculture and academia formed by the state Agriculture Department.

However, "You need a broad-based control of this problem before you eradicate it. We're not there yet," he added.

The spotted lanternfly, a brightly colored mothlike bug with mottled wings, is a voracious eater, feeding on about 70 trees and other plants in Pennsylvania. Grape vines and hops seem particularly susceptible to the insect's feasting, and the bug's clear, thick excrement, called "honeydew," could hinder plants' photosynthesis, state agriculture officials warn.

Containment strategy

Pennsylvania's response to the bug has been copied by other states. Among its strategies, the state has quarantined 13 counties, asking residents and businesses to inspect vehicles and outdoor items such as firewood before taking them out of the area, and urged citizens to kill the insects, scrape the bug's eggs off trees and other outdoor surfaces, and wrap tree trunks with sticky tape to snag nymphs.

Containing the bug's spread is "a real challenge," Redding admitted. Though the pest, a native of China, India and Vietnam, is being studied in South Korea, where it invaded in 2006, the Pennsylvania version has different DNA, according to Agriculture Department experts.

"It's not as though there's a library of how-to manuals," said Redding. "This story is still being written, the spotted lanternfly (story). Each year is kind of a different chapter. We've learned a lot but I'd be the first to tell you that there's also a lot we don't know."

Federal and state funds have helped research into the insect's biology. The USDA committed $17.5 million in emergency funds in 2018, while the state committed an additional $3 million toward efforts to study and control the bug.

Gov. Tom Wolf is proposing a $5 million fund in next year's Agriculture Department budget that could be used to contain a threat by spotted lanternflies or other scourge to crops or farm animals. In fact, $3 million of the proposed fund, called the Rapid Response Disaster Readiness Account, would be earmarked specifically toward the spotted lanternfly infestation, Redding said.

Getting support

In a meeting earlier this week , U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and other USDA officials assured Redding that they are committed to the fight against the spotted lanternfly and Pennsylvania's strategy to deal with the invader, Redding said.

"They are committed to the spotted lanternfly program and the structure we have built with the management strategy, which always is being refined," said Redding.

State agriculture officials are watching Berks' response to the spotted lanternfly invasion for ideas on how to control the pest, Redding said.

This summer, the Berks County Conservation District is waging a $170,000 offensive against the tree of heaven, a weedy tree that is one of the bug's favorite food sources.

The Conservation District plans to kill the tree of heaven on selected properties in the county this summer, leaving trap trees containing systemic insecticide to kill the feeding insects. About 200 applicants have asked to have the tree of heaven on their property culled, said Evan Corondi, an educational outreach coordinator for the Conservation District.

If the offensive is successful, it could be used in other counties.

"We see that as a model," said Redding.

Another Berks initiative, a gardening hotline staffed by Penn State Extension Master Gardeners in the county, answered 900 calls from county property owners about the spotted lanternfly in 2018. It's an effort that other counties likely could not handle."Not all counties have strong Extension offices," said Beth Finlay, a Penn State Extension Master Gardener coordinator.

The Garden Hotline is available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at 610-378-1327. Questions also can be sent by email to Berksmg@psu.edu.

Berks' efforts prove that "you guys have taken ownership" of the fight against the spotted lanternfly, Redding told the task force. "That's what differentiates what you're doing compared to another county."